A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said that backing Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election would amount to indirectly helping President Bola Tinubu secure another term.
Okonkwo made the statement during an interview with Symfoni TV while speaking on the need for opposition parties to present a united front ahead of the next general election.
According to him, Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress would benefit if opposition votes are divided among different candidates. He argued that anyone working against a united opposition platform may not be in the APC, but would still be strengthening Tinubu’s path to victory.
“The reason I said it is that either you’re working for Tinubu directly, in other words, you’re in APC, or you’re working for Tinubu indirectly because when you divide the votes of the coalition and the opposition, you’re still making Tinubu better placed to win,” Okonkwo said.
The former Labour Party spokesman also faulted Obi’s reported decision to pull out of coalition talks in the ADC. He claimed that Obi joined the ADC process voluntarily but later withdrew close to the deadline, alleging that the former Anambra State governor was unwilling to test his popularity in a primary contest.
“Nobody forced Peter Obi to enter ADC. He entered on his own, and one week to the end of the closure of the time, he left and gave the reason.
“You can’t compete in a primary, and you want to be a politician. You want to be the president of a challenged country, and you’re running away from challenge,” he said.
Okonkwo further alleged that Senator Victor Umeh had told him that the South-East’s best route to the presidency was to align with northern political forces, with Obi accepting a vice-presidential slot.
He said Umeh also claimed that Obi had been advised on the matter but refused to accept the suggestion.
“I told him, ‘Have you told Obi?’ He said yes, but that Peter Obi is very stubborn. That if you tell him anything, he would not believe but would continue to try,” Okonkwo stated.
Okonkwo insisted that opposition supporters must be realistic in their calculations ahead of 2027, warning that votes cast outside a broad opposition coalition could weaken the chances of defeating the APC.
“Let me tell you the truth, in 2027, anybody voting any vote whatsoever to Peter Obi, you’re voting for Tinubu, and don’t say that I didn’t tell you,” he said.
His comments come as opposition politicians continue discussions on possible alliances and coalition arrangements ahead of the 2027 presidential election.